Alternate Best Actor 1963: Results

5. Marcello Mastroianni in 8 1/2-  Mastroianni gives a good performance but he is always overshadowed by the man he is suppose to be portraying. 

Best Scene: Guido speaks with his wife.

4. Steve McQueen in The Great Escape- McQueen as the Cooler King is all about the cool which he brings in his trademark fashion.

Best Scene: Hilts goes to retrieve his ball.

3. Tom Courtenay in Billy Liar- Courtenay gives a complex and entertaining performance as a man who lies to hide his insecurities.

Best Scene: Billy tries to speak with his mother after his grandmother's death.

2. Dirk Bogarde in The Servant- Bogarde gives a brilliant performance showing the layers come off of what seems to be just a normal unassuming butler.

Best Scene: The Sevant reveals his true nature to his employer.

1. Toshiro Mifune in High and Low- This year came down between Bogarde and Mifune for me. It comes very close for me as I do love Bogarde performance, but I will go with Mifune's work which I found the most moving of all the performances this year. Mifune gives a poignant performance as a man who chooses to do good no matter how much harm it will cause. His portrayal of the moral decision moral on fuels the entire film and Mifune made it so I remembered even during the second half of the film in which he only occasionally appears. 

Best Scene: King Gondo makes his final decision on the ransom.

Overall Rank:

1. Toshiro Mifune in High and Low
2. Dirk Bogarde in The Servant
3. Paul Newman in Hud
4. Tom Courtenay in Billy Liar
5. Sean Connery in From Russia With Love
6. Steve McQueen in The Great Escape
7. Richard Attenborough in The Great Escape
8. Sidney Poitier in Lilies of the Field
9. Richard Harris in This Sporting Life
10. Albert Finney in Tom Jones
11. James Fox in The Servant
12. Cary Grant in Charade
13. Marcello Mastroianni in 8 1/2
14. Rod Taylor in The Birds
15. Gregory Peck in Captain Newman M.D.
16. Dick Van Dyke in Bye Bye Birdie
17. Jack Lemmon in Irma La Douce
18. Stathis Giallelis in America America
19. Fred MacMurray in Son of Flubber
20. Todd Armstrong in Jason and the Argonauts
21. Tom Tryon in The Cardinal 
22. Richard Chamberlain in Twilight of Honor 
23. Richard Burton in The V.I.P.s
24. David Niven in The Pink Panther
25. Richard Burton in Cleopatra
26. Rex Harrison in Cleopatra

Next Year: 1963 Supporting

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Alternate Best Actor 1963: Tom Courtenay in Billy Liar

Tom Courtenay did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying William 'Billy' Terrence Fisher in Billy Liar.

Billy Liar is an interesting film about the bad decisions made by a young English day dreamer.

Tom Courtenay plays the protagonist in this film which is of the Kitchen sink drama genre. This one though sort of questions the genre a bit in that it is very much a comedy drama and not really in the way Alfie was either. When Alfie went serious it stayed rather serious but Billy Liar never stops with his more absurdest moments. Courtenay's performance is a little different as well even though like Alfie as well as Archie Rice irresponsibility is a major facet of his character. His irresponsibility comes out in a rather different fashion though and Courtenay portrays a very different leading character here.

The irresponsibility of Billy is shown through his constant fantasies that play out in his head that usual involve himself in some create place of power or something that makes him seem far more important than he is. Courtenay infuses this whole side of his performance with a certain insanity. In the fantasy scenes Courtenay has an incredible glee that has above all a boyish childish quality. It actually has a bit of a disconcerting aspect to it considering this behavior is coming from a man, and Courtenay actually does this the right way. It is clear that Billy is enjoying himself and perhaps we can enjoy it with it, but Courtenay is not afraid to show that there is definitely something off about it all.

The fantasy scenes are Billy at his most extreme but Courtenay does tone it down considerably when Billy is not longer around. Courtenay still gives Billy various shades in style depending who exactly he is with and when he is with them. When he is with less serious circumstances Courtenay portrays him as a bit of a seemingly harmless joker. He is far less intense in these moments than he is in the fantasy but Courtenay still suggests the irresponsibility although in a less extreme fashion for Billy. He makes him a bit of charmer although perhaps one who puts it on a little thick at times a little too thick for his own good. Courtenay does not go overboard in his portrayal rather he does well to accentuate Billy's defining feature.

The film is not called Billy Liar for no reason and the consistent thing about Billy is his propensity for telling lies big and small over the course of the film. He never really stops lying but he never seems exactly the devious fellow one would think he would considering how much lying he does. Courtenay's performance works especially well because of the way he avoids this in Billy. The reason is that his lying is almost just that of a second nature. Courtenay has no hesitations or stops in his performance and portrays his lying with that same sort of happiness that he expresses with his fantasies. His portrayal never makes Billy lying seem purposeful even when though it is, but rather it as something that Billy just has to do to be able to get by in the way he does.

Throughout the film Billy's lies catch up with them and Courtenay is very effective in the way he mixes subtly with his broader portrayal of Billy as the liar. As a liar Courtenay portrays him as a man not to afraid to do anything and even enjoys it a bit, but when called upon it he suggests something different right under his skin. Courtenay is excellent the way he plays up and down with the part in any of the scenes where he is called on his lies whether it is when his boss is calling on him for his slight embezzlement or when his two fiancees start suspecting something about Billy. Courtenay has Billy try to keep it up with the same confidence in the demeanor, but within this there is a weakness about Billy that pains him truly as he is forced to face reality which he hates to do. 

Tom Courtenay's best moments though come when Billy is faced with the harshest realities in life and he has no lies to fall onto. Courtenay in glimpses suggests a very different man and certainly a far more mature one. His smirk leaves him as do the constant lies and jokes he likes to tell. He instead is left as a fairly sad unimposing soul who has trouble even listening to his parents when they are telling him how things really are. It is striking to see the liar brought to the truth as Courtenay still shows this to be the liar but with all of defenses gone. With no lies left Billy is shown to be just a sad young man without a single proper direction to go and Courtenay is brilliant quite powerful in revealing just how Billy is deep down.

Tom Courtenay's characterization of Billy is excellent in his creation of the onion that is Billy revealing the various layers of him from his surface fantasies to his deep insecurities. Courtenay never allows his performance to be a single way here and it is quite interesting to see how he is able to be an entertaining liar yet still shows that the lies come from a very real personal problems in the man. Courtenay makes Billy a complex character and is convincing in every facet of the role. Billy doesn't have a direct path in the film bouncing back and forth in terms of his maturity, and in the end it is open to interpretations what exact path he has chosen. Courtenay performance allows this end to be both a compelling as well as fitting to his character.

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Alternate Best Actor 1963: Marcello Mastroianni in 8 1/2

Marcello Mastroianni did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Guido Ansemli in 8 1/2.

8 1/2 is a well made film about the strange journey a film director goes through as he struggles to make his next film. I only say well made film because it is a film I liked, but I just am not nearly as passionate about it as so many are.

The last time I reviewed Mastroianni is was for his performance in Federico Fellini's La Dolce Vita this time he once again teams up with the director although this time he acts as the surrogate for the director within the film. As with La Dolce Vita Mastroianni acts as a guide of sorts for the film although to different ends. Where in La Dolce Vita he made his way through various vignettes as the tired journalist where he did interact but just as often kept as a distance. In this film though Guido is always a part of them as sometimes they are only in his own mind yet this time his interaction is a much firmer thing yet there still seems a distance in this case as well.

8 1/2 is most definitely a director's film as the main character is there to even represent the director. Fellini pretty much strong arms the entire thing and it is hard at times to notice anything other than what he is doing at any particular time. The fantasy scenes in particular are shot in a way that never brings emphasis to what the actors are doing instead always focusing on what Fellini is doing instead. This is the case throughout the film and no one stands out like Fellini's direction does. It is his film the entire running time and therefore the actors at best are given limited time to do much of anything and even in that time they usually confined there in some fairly simple character requirement.

Mastroianni is probably given the most to do as Guido although even his part is quite limited in the scheme of things. Mastroianni is a very passive actor which works at times like his dead pan work in Divorce Italian Style as well as in La Dolce Vita where he was playing a passive character. This time he again plays a passive character although one can wonder if he necessarily had to be this way. Another actor may have made their own take on Fellini like say Peter O'Toole in the Stunt Man sort of thing, but Fellini himself probably would not have approved. In fact Mastroianni passive style probably made him the perfect choice as Fellini then knew there would not be any out of control characterization standing as his surrogate.

Mastroianni plays Guido as very much an observer above all else. Most of the time he is fairly downplayed and mostly seems to be examining what others say more than directly reacting to them. This approach actually does entirely fit the part of Guido in this film. He seems usually in a bit of a daze of sorts, a strange self reflective sort of daze rather than an uncaring one. This approach does suggest what is exactly going on through his head as he makes his little personal journey through the film where he has trouble making a statement with both his relationships as well as his new film. Mastroianni makes him as man trying for something but very much grasping into the air.

There really is not much of an arc to his character in this case. Where La Dolce Vita Mastroianni portrayed the slow descent of the man who slowly failed to find some sort of redemption for himself leaving him as a shell of a man only able to live with gilded extravagance, in this film he does not have the same type of journey. Guido is in more than anything a frame of mind that he cannot escape that leaves him on basically the same level of thinking throughout. Guido and Mastroianni's performance of him is almost a constant and his character journey is not really portrayed by a change in Guido but more of a change in what Guido sees therefore again the spotlight is given to Fellini and not Mastroianni.

This is probably exactly what the director wanted as his surrogate of course a performance being what the director wants is not necessarily a good thing. Looking entirely on its own though Mastroianni's performance is good for what it is. He does express what his character is going through and more importantly for that he actually allows us to understand a little more of Fellini is doing with his direction throughout. If it where not for Mastroianni work it would be much harder to understand any of the fantasy sequence and what they exactly mean. Mastroianni though in his segments establishes his character and what Guido is going through to allow us to understand what it is that Fellini is doing.

La Dolce Vita was a better collaboration between the two in terms of being collaboration. It allowed both to have their moments for example Fellini gets to shine in the famous fountain scene, but as does Mastroianni through his performance in the scene which receives substantial focus. Mastroianni even sometimes gets stripped of even reactions in this case like the fantasy dinner scene where he speaks to the women of his life and it is all from Guido's point of view. His point of view means the camera's point of view which means Fellini's point of view leaving Mastroianni holding the short straw. This is a good performance that serves its purpose splendidly but Mastroianni is always overshadowed by who he is suppose to be playing.

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Alternate Best Actor 1963: Steve McQueen in The Great Escape

Steve McQueen did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Captain Virgil Hilts USAAF "The Cooler King" in The Great Escape.

The Great Escape is a very entertaining thriller about a group of allied pows who decide to launch a giant escape plan from a Nazi prison.

The last time I reviewed a McQueen performance it was probably his most character driven work in Papillon. His performance here though is probably one of his most star style ones. His character is fairly simple in this case. He is a hot shot pilot who now is a hot shot escape artist. A man who will keep trying to escape no matter how many times the guards throw him into solitary confinement "the cooler" for his repeated tries to allude them. There is not much more to him besides that except maybe that Hilts has a very small little conflict in himself over his own want to escape and the needs of all of the prisoners inside of the prisoner of war prison.

McQueen clearly knows that his part is not all that complex so why bother making assumptions that it is. This performance is all about his moniker which is the "King of Cool" of course and well that is exactly what he is gonna be here cool. McQueen pretty much shows off just how cool he can be here and this time is all about his screen presence which is just fine. It technically works perfectly for his character since McQueen's style is definitely fitting for the hot shot pilot and the constant escapee. He has an incredible confidence in his performance that just fits the confidence of the Cooler King. McQueen is able to go all the why as the King of cool since that's how Hilts should be.

Since Hilts fits the part this can pretty easily be just a no holds barred Steve McQueen doing what he does best. McQueen with his sly smile and how casual manner does something quite special here. McQueen seems absolutely at ease with his portrayal as Hilts yet he never seems uncaring either. He makes it breezy and almost relaxed at times yet McQueen somehow is able to convey a certain passion as well. It definitely is a great trick that McQueen pulls in that it is pretty obvious that he is having a great time in the role all the time yet he is never out of place in the situation too. Although everything he would seem like a man who does not care, but McQueen never once comes off that way.

McQueen honestly is just great to watch here. His fun never is kept to himself and we can have the fun right along with him. Whether he is playing catch with the wall of the cooler, smartly talking himself in and out of various situations with the Nazis, or just the way he rides his motorcycle at the end there is just something so compelling about what he does. The way he is able to be just as entertaining and well cool well never seeming out of place either. There never is any disconnection here as McQueen can just go all the way with his charm and particular attitude that is all his own.

This performance is not an overly complex one just like the role, but I suppose I should mention the more dramatic meat of his performance. This is mainly in just a few brief moments most of them consisting with his interactions with another escapist who is rather to crack, and the other being when he has to sacrifice his own plans for the greater good of the men as a whole. There is not a lot to either of these scenes really and they are fairly simplistic still, but McQueen still handles them well. They are not that important to his character in the long run but McQueen still gives every line the right conviction and does exactly what he needs to.

Of course those moments are not what you come for when watching this performance. You come to see McQueen being McQueen. That is exactly what this performance is not much more than that but certainly not less. It is a performance though that could have only ever been delivered by Steve McQueen of course and it is a great show case for what exactly made him such a star. It is only made better that McQueen signature style never feels out of place with his character. This is definitely not the powerhouse performance of his in Papillon but nor was it meant to be. This is just a case of an exceptionally entertaining performance that adds to the film just like a star performance should.

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Alternate Best Actor 1963: Dirk Bogarde in The Servant

Dirk Bogarde did not receive an Oscar nomination, despite winning a Bafta and placing second for NYFCC, for portraying Barrett in The Servant.

The Servant is an intriguing film about the relationship between a young rich man Tony (James Fox) and his butler although I do not think the ending is the weakest part of the film.

Dirk Bogarde plays the butler and his performance is what makes the film. This is not a simple butler in any respect as we from the first scene where he walks in on his new prospective employer. As he walks in his face is that of a harder man with a bitterness and a definite attitude toward the man and his surroundings. When Tony though notices Barrett there is an immediate change in Barrett as Bogarde portrays Barrett the butler. In just this subtle change in manner we see almost tow different men in this one man. Bogarde sets up this dynamic instantly and with just the way he walks in the room sets the stage for his character's path which is a fascinating one to watch.

As the butler Bogarde turns Barrett into a gentleman's gentleman. His face is that of kindness and consideration. When asked if he enjoys the work he says with a nice smile that he does and Bogarde portrays Barrett's manner is being something that Tony would entirely believe. His posture and his face is that of the servant who loves to do his job in his own meek way. He will come in and out of rooms with his eyes in a most pleasant stare as he observes and takes care of his employer. Everything about Bogarde's performance is that of the type of man who seems perfect for his job, he is always modest and humble.

Bogarde's Barrett is not only that of the butler though and although in his performance he makes it entirely believable that Tony would accept him there is that underlying feeling that there is more to Barrett that it might seem there should be. When he is not in the eyes of Tony or when he is out Bogarde portrays a very different Barrett. This Barrett is almost the opposite of the other man. Bogarde makes him a harsh fellow with unsavory eyes and expression. He is even quite vulgar in his harsh manner that does not mind telling someone exactly what he thinks. He is forceful and rather frank and this Barrett shares almost nothing in common with the other.

The genius of Bogarde's performance is that he does make this all in one man. It does not seem unnatural or unbelievable at any point. He creation of the facade is something special that Bogarde uses as something that shows the nature of Barrett. He is a man putting on just a show when he is the butler who puts it on with his kind face, but the real man is nothing like the kind butler. This dynamic that Bogarde is rather disconcerting if only because he does it so well. It would be one thing if there was not the connection, but Bogarde makes the connection. The unnatural change in the man is made completely natural in Bogarde's portrayal which is what makes it so striking.

As the film proceeds though the true nature of Barrett is revealed to Tony and Bogarde is quite powerful in the way he adjusts his performance when this occurs. There is no holding back in any way when it comes to the less savory qualities of Barrett and any notion of the kind servant is lost. Borgarde is fierce and uncompromising in his portrayal of Barrett finally unleashes his discontent with his employer that he has only bottled up until now. The moment is given the punch it needs due to the extreme nature of the change that Bogarde portrays in Barrett, but as well due to that Bogarde does entirely succeed in showing this as the truth revealed more than anything else.

Interesting enough after he is fired Barrett quickly asks for his job again and this is a short but pivotal scene for Bogarde. Bogarde places the facade again of sorts as that kind face returns as he grovels for his return, but it is not exactly the same man. He is not nearly as well put together in his butler style, and shows it as a mix of trying to put it on through desperation but within that desperation is an inability to really be the butler we saw the beginning. It is an effective scene due to Bogarde as he portrays both Barrett's inability to really maintain his original act that he had created, but as well he shows the movement toward a Barrett who is more truthful pulling back from the extremes he forced himself in at the beginning.

Anything left of the facade is gone by the next scenes which are a strange set of scenes where the relationship between Tony and Barrett quite dramatically. They become more like two bickering buddies rather than master and servant, but more importantly than that Barrett is the dominate buddy. Bogarde's work here is remarkable as he shows the true Barrett who is much more casual than before. He is no longer the nice faced servant or the bitter man filled with repression. He refutes both into just a far more normalized man that absolutely works and makes sense to be the result for Barrett. Bogarde's performance is that of man who just pretty much does not care any more and just might as well get along in his own way.

The whole set up of the servant and the master changing roles could easily have seemed rather forced, but it does not feel this way at all due to Bogarde's performance. What Bogarde shows to be the main reason for this change in relationship is merely his greater force in personality. They both appear as very different versions of their earlier selves both being far more emotionally charged. Bogarde shows this as the strength of Barrett's personality is able to win out but importantly also portrays this personality as something else from the original embittered man. He is able to say anything he wants therefore he can do anything he wants and Barrett makes him in the end have the emotions as before but it a way both much more muted since he can express them whenever he wishes.

This is a great performance by Dirk Bogarde that creates a fascinating character out of the servant. The transition of his character in both his relationship to the master but as well his own personal transition is intriguing in the unique fashion that Borgarde portrays it. This is an amazing characterization by Bogarde, the way Bogarde's reveals the layers of his character as well as rids himself of them is outstanding. He always remains believable in the role despite the long leap his character takes from his entrance to the end. There is not a skipping point but rather a full realization of not only what the servant becomes but as well why he was the way he was from the beginning.

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Alternate Best Actor 1963: Toshiro Mifune in High and Low

Toshiro Mifune did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying King Gondo in High and Low.

High and Low is an amazing film about a wealthy shoe executive who must deal with a kidnapper who claims to have abducted his son.

Toshiro Mifune this time appears as King Gondo the wealthy shoe executive who we first meet as he speaks to his fellow executives about the path for their company. Although he plays a rich man who could be seen as a lager than life sort Mifune actually gives one of his most downplayed performances. In his first scene Mifune makes an important impact as Gondo listens to the idea of his fellow executives which stresses cheating the consumer and making an inferior product. In the scene Gondo at first simply just listens to their plan but then quickly refutes their ideas as wrong. Mifune is very good in portraying the quiet but very forceful passion in the man. Although it may seem a silly even for a man to be so passionate over something as simple as shoes Mifune's earnest portrayal not only makes this believable but sets up Gondo as man who stands up for what he believes in.

Mifune is an actor who seems to consider the body language of a man when creating a character. This is something so natural in his performances that you might not even notice it but it does wonders in telling use both who this man is as well as where it is that he comes from. This is the calmest of all the characters that I have looked at so far, as even the good doctor in The Quiet Duel had a ferocity within his emotional repression, but even in this calmer performance it still reflects the nature of this man. In this time he plays a man who is able to be calm and peace of himself so he can sit still and think and listen very easily. At the same time in this manner though there is a power of personality in King Gondo. Mifune in the way he sits and observes as well as speaks his mine shows an astute and intelligent man ready to fight for what he wants.

Gondo after laying about his plan to seize the show company out from his rival executives though suddenly learns from a phone call that his son has been kidnapped. Mifune's performance in this moment is exactly what it should be. He is nothing but raw emotions as he tries to deal with this sudden turn of events. Mifune doesn't hold back and properly shows that Gondo is absolutely turn about about his son and honestly will do anything to get him back no matter what it takes from him. There is not any thinking or calculation shown in Mifune here instead it is purely the gut reaction of the man as he can think of nothing other than the safety of his son leaving him a nervous emotional wreck who will do just anything he can to try and save his son from harm.

The early twist of the film though occurs in which is that his son has not been kidnapped but instead by accident the son of his chauffeur. Mifune is excellent in his depiction of the change in Gondo as he gains back his composure. Mifune is very good in portraying the change of gears in the man who is relieved almost completely although with still a small seed of concern as he realizes that his chauffeur's son is still in danger. There is quite the change though back to his old manner. Mifune is careful though to show that although Gondo has regained his composure but that it is not that he is not caring about the situation still. Mifune properly sets up the beginning of Gondo's personal struggle with the situation as the kidnapper still demands the same payment even though he has the wrong child.

The succeeding scenes involve Gondo dealing with the idea of whether he will still pay for the life of a child even though it is not his own son and as well giving up the money will ruin his deal with the shoe company and could cost him his lifetime of accomplishments. Mifune is perfect here because of how well he realizes this struggle. How he got to this point was essential though in that Mifune always keeps Gondo as a respectful and decent human being. When speaking of his deal he never seemed to be ruthless businessman, but rather an honest man who both wanted to do what he thought was right but as well gain something he has rightfully worked to his whole life. Mifune creates the utmost sympathy for Gondo without ever seeming to plead for it and while still completely making him the shrewd business man he should be.

The sympathy that Mifune creates for Gondo is essential as he really brings us right into this personal struggle that he is facing. It never feels easy just to throw the money away or just to simply pay off the kidnapper. Mifune allows us to see exactly where Gondo is coming from with what this pay off will mean and he makes the difficult decision that it should be. Gondo if played poorly could have seemed just selfish, but Mifune in his very humanistic turn here powerfully brings to life the emotions going on inside the man's head. Mifune never makes it easy and his portrayal of this conflict within himself is truly something special to behold. The set of scenes are basically a showcase of Mifune's performance and he never once disappoints in bringing the power to the proceedings.

There is not a moment in the very intense scenes of negotiation with the kidnapper or his own deliberations that Mifune does not bring the great weight of the situation. He is absolutely brilliant as Gondo as he calculates every path and honestly looks at the situation. At first he keeps pressing that he cannot use his money no matter what and Mifune never makes this seem like selfishness. In eyes and his pained delivery we see that this is a real loss for Gondo and it is something that goes far beyond monetary loss for him. The fear in Gondo is made truthful and never self absorbed. He makes this decision which Gondo is making as hard as it would be. Even as he states his decision firmly and states his position well, Mifune is terrific in creating the poignancy as the empathy in Gondo for his chauffeur is harder to forget than what losing the money will do to him.

Mifune's portrayal of Gondo's good nature slowly coming through and making him do the right thing is masterful. Mifune does not rush it instead quietly portraying his conscious pulling him the right direction. Mifune's depiction of it is outstanding as he honestly shows the whole struggle in the man and that even when he makes this choice he brings across the true consequences of it all in the man. Not an element of the situation is lost in Mifune's performance. The thoughts of his business and his dream, his future from paying the ransom as well his thoughts for his chauffeur's son are all there at once. The tremendous burden is all there in Mifune's performance, when he finally gives the go ahead to pay we feel just how much Gondo had to go through to reach this point.

This is rather unique for an actor/director collaboration as this film is almost structured as the first half being Mifune's showcase then the second half being Kurosawa's showcase as Mifune becomes almost a ghost for the second half of the film. He is a ghost in that he goes missing for long passages as the film goes about finding the kidnapper leaving King Gondo nothing to do other than wait. He is also a ghost in that when we do see him Mifune powerfully portrays him as a shattered man who can only watch as his life's accomplishments fall apart. Mifune may not appear much but it is actually a testament to the strength of his performance that we do not forget him. Due to his flawless portrayal of Gondo's internal battle he fuels the motivation to see through the external battle to get the criminal.

Mifune does not appear much at all in the second half but we remember him. He comes back for the very important final scene where he finally comes face to face with the kidnapper. Mifune leaves King Gondo as a different man we saw from the beginning as well as the one we saw in the middle. Mifune makes him a combination of the two showing that the experience will not be something he ever forgets, but in the sadness there is the return of that pride in himself that gives hope for his future. His final talk with the kidnapper is a extraordinary scene for both actors with the kidnapper (Tsutomu Yamazaki) positing a searing hate and discontent toward the man which Mifune counteracts through his subtle expression that suggests Gondo's confusion as well as sympathy for a man he never did any harm to. It is a spectacular end to Mifune's performance that drives this great film even through the long periods when he is not even in it. This poignant turn may in fact be my favorite performance by the legendary Toshiro Mifune.

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Alternate Best Actor 1963

And the Nominees Were Not:

Toshiro Mifune in High and Low

Dirk Bogarde in The Servant

Steve McQueen in The Great Escape

Tom Courtenay in Billy Liar

Marcello Mastroianni in 8 1/2

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Best Bond: Sean Connery in From Russia With Love

Sean Connery was the first person to portray James Bond in a film the first being Dr. No which was soon followed by From Russia With Love.

From Russia With Love is a very enjoyable spy thriller and one of best entries in the Bond series. It has dated elements, but it is a very entertaining ride.

Connery first appearance was indeed in Dr. No, but I decided instead to review him for this film as this film asks him a little more to do well still showing the type of qualities he brings to the role of Bond. Connery is the very first to portray Bond therefore having quite the challenge in finding exactly how to portray the spy. There was the earlier portrayal of Bond by Barry Nelson in a television program that did not serve the character very well giving a rather undistinguished performance, what really would not give Connery any basis to go on. Connery instead had to go all or nothing in his portrayal as James Bond as it was his star making role too.

The most important facet of Connery portrayal of Bond in all of his films is his charisma. Connery was charming fellow in his previous lesser known efforts like Darby O'Gill and the Little People, but as James Bond he goes to a whole new level Bond. Connery is just owns the screen as Bond he has so much presence as Bond that Connery made it pretty obvious that he was a star. He amps it up even more as Bond and it is something particularly special to watch all on its own. Connery also makes it an essential facet to James Bond. As an operative he is also working this charm, and makes his way through many situations because of it. This is something Connery makes look absolutely effortlessly which is perfect for Bond.

Connery does something special as Bond which is he portrays a character who is very much full of himself, yet Connery never comes off as pompous in the role. Instead despite not striving for so he makes Bond immensely likable in perhaps his upfront unabashed manner. Yes his Bond knows he is great yet Connery makes his Bond worthy of the greatness. Well he is that great there isn't any effort in bringing out this assurance in Bond, Connery just meets with such a particular style that he meets that quality one definitely wants in the character. He never alienates the audience despite being someone they would never be or never even meet. It is the cliched line, but Connery honestly does make Bond the man you want to be.

Connery is just perfectly slick and suave as Bond. Everything he does has such a energy and realizes the character so brilliantly. Connery just is Bond and goes along the film so effectively so. There are so many ways the Bond could falter so easily without Connery in the lead, but he doesn't because of Connery strength in the role. For example there are the quips that Bond makes throughout the film some are quite terrific in their simplicity such as after facing off against Red Grant "You Won't Be Needing this Old Man", but than some are not nearly as good such as "Yes She's Had Her Kicks". Connery delivery each is so good that even when the line is not particularly good they don't fall flat as they would have in lesser hands.

Now these earlier Bonds are fairly breezy in tone and Connery fits that quite well throughout offering the right humor to the proceedings when needed. Importantly though, particularly in From Russia With Love, when there is a more serious moment required he can bring that weight when necessary. Connery is great in the way he can switch between the natures of the role without there being a disconnection. He play so well in the lighter fashion for most of the film. When there is a more dramatic moment though such as when Bond faces off against Red Grant who is played by Robert Shaw so he easily could have just the film stolen him by the great Shaw, but Connery holds his own and meets the demands of the scene incredibly well.

I like Connery's performance in From Russia in Love the most because he does give the hints of the darker nature of the spy method in this portrayal as Bond. This mostly has to do with his treatment of the film's bond girl Tatiana Romanova. He of course romances here but Connery actually is quite good in showing that this really is just part of Bond's job, and although he might as well enjoy it it isn't love he has. This is evidenced by the scene where he roughly interrogates here as well as when there on the run and he rather coldly tells her that he will leave her behind if she does not get moving. Connery portrays this coldness well as perhaps even the true nature of Bond when it comes to the tough decisions, and he is terrific in showing this more lowly nature effectively.

Connery had some tough shoes to fill in the role of Bond just by the way the character was in the novels. Connery though did not fill the shoes instead he threw them away and made Bond his shoes. He absolutely made the part his own and could not be better Bond in this film as well in Dr. No and Goldfinger. Also through the brief but important moments showing the more shadowier nature of the game, suggests that he very well could have taken Bond to different places if it had been required of him. I pondered the rating for this film in particular and thought 4.5, but since he is perfect the Bond in this film with this film being his greatest challenge as the character I will not hesitate in my rating. It is true his Bond quality went down in the later films as he clearly became tired of the series, but going by his very best in the role he set the standard all actors who would take the role in the future would have to live up to.

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